Various types of appliances are utilized in today's homes and businesses. For example, doorbells, intercoms, lights, fans, alarm systems, and moveable barrier operators are only a few examples of such appliances in use today. To activate or control the operation of an appliance, some type of actuator is typically used. For instance, a switch may be actuated by a user in order to activate a light or a doorbell button may be pressed by a user to cause doorbell chimes associated with the button to sound. In some examples, the actuator may be hard-wired to the appliance. In other cases, the actuator may be associated with a wireless transmitter. When a wireless actuator is actuated, a radio frequency (RF) signal is formed and then transmitted via an antenna to the appliance. The appliance receives the RF signal and activates the appliance according to the RF signal.
Wireless systems have proved to be convenient for many users, for example, avoiding the need to re-wire existing systems. Unfortunately, wireless systems also have experienced various problems that often limited their use and/or effectiveness. More specifically, wireless systems are often attached to the exterior walls of buildings. The walls themselves are constructed of materials such as stucco (that include a metallic mesh), or are surrounded by steel or aluminum siding all of which interfere with and/or absorb wireless signals intended to be sent from the wireless transmitters to the appliance. Wireless doorbells or chimes are a good example of the later problem where signals transmitted by wireless doorbell buttons (attached to the exterior walls of buildings) often could not be received and/or were interfered with by the constructional composition and/or structure of the walls to which they were attached. Hence, these signals could not be received by the chime unit, or if they were received, were unusable by the chime unit due to degradation in signal quality.
Moreover, with respect to wireless door chimes, transmitters and batteries required for the chimes created a unit with less than ideal aesthetics. These items extended out from an outside wall as opposed to being nearly flush or co-planar with the planar surface of an outside wall. The outwardly extended portion of the doorbell button unit created a less than desired aesthetic unit when installed.
As a result of the above-mentioned problems, wireless signals sent by wireless actuators which were intended to activate and/or control an appliance often were not received by the appliance. Units also were created with less than desired attractiveness to consumers. These problems have led to user inconvenience and frustration with these previous systems.